This invention relates to articles in which flavor generating media are heated but not burned to release tobacco flavors. More particularly, this invention relates to electrically heated articles.
It is known to provide smoking articles in which a flavor bed of tobacco or tobacco-derived material is heated, without combustion of tobacco, to release tobacco flavors without producing all the normal products of tobacco combustion. For example, it is known to provide a smoking article having a bed of tobacco-derived material and a combustible heat source. A smoker draws air through or around the heat source, heating it, and the heated air passes through the flavor bed, releasing tobacco flavors that are drawn into the smoker's mouth. The heat source temperature, is dependent on how the smoker uses the article, so that the flavor release rate varies widely from user to user and from article to article for a particular user.
Articles that produce the taste and sensation of smoking by heating tobacco electrically are also known. However, in some known electrically heated articles the temperature was not consistent because the output of the electrical power source was not well regulated, so that the release of flavors also was not consistent. In other known electrically heated articles the power source was external to the article and inconvenient.
It would be desirable to be able to provide an electrically heated article which operates at a controlled temperature to produce a predetermined release of flavor with each puff.
It would also be desirable to be able to provide such an article which consistently for each puff reaches its operating temperature quickly and remains at that temperature long enough to release the desired flavors, without overheating and causing burning of its flavor source, while at the same time minimizing the consumption of energy.
It would further be desirable to be able to provide such an article which is self-contained.
It would still further be desirable to be able to provide such an article which can have the appearance of a conventional cigarette, but produces neither sidestream smoke nor ash, and is not hot between puffs.